Will My Commute Be The Death Of Me?

When going to and from work, it’s often not fun as you will need to face traffic and deal with a host of other problems. However, new cars have plenty of exciting features that make the commute less stressful and more enjoyable. While true, it’s still a tough task for many on the road. With this in mind, you need to ask yourself the question, will my commute be the death of me?

Long Commutes

People love to live in luxurious and quiet neighborhoods far from the hustle and bustle of a large city. This is true whether looking at communities in Southern California or cities throughout New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. In fact, if you have a long commute, you are more likely to end up divorced as the stress and wear-and- tear on your body add up and cause you to take it out on your spouse. This is a serious problem facing plenty of people throughout the United States who want to give their spouse and kids everything. Sadly, long commutes are not an anomaly as 600,000 Americans travel 90 minutes to work. Even more telling, almost 11 million people travel an hour each way, according to census bureau reports. It’s no wonder that people are so stressed and suffer a host of issues after a long and drawn-out commute.

Safety

The longer you are on the road, the more likely you are to experience a car accident, minor or major. While engineers have designed safer roads and cars, it’s still an unsafe venture, especially for people who drive on two-lane highways. While a motorist can drive safely and buy a car with the most up-to-date safety features, there is only so much a person can do to protect their well-being. Sadly, while cars and roads are safer, people still frequently die in car accidents. In fact, nearly 70 people a day in the United States die as a result of a vehicle accident. Furthermore, people are often seriously injured in an accident, which causes them to miss work and suffer needlessly. While it’s easy to ignore this if you are not in a car accident, it’s something to consider when planning out your commute.

Cost

Not only are long commutes tiring and unsafe, but they are also costly. With the price of fuel seemingly always rising, it’s hard to get to and from work without spending a lot of money. Then, when you add in maintenance costs, wear-and-tear, parking passes and toll costs, you can spend hundreds of dollars a month, getting to and from work. Since the average monthly vehicle payments is pushing $500, a commuter can easily spend near a thousand dollars a month when adding other vehicle expenses. While easy to justify if you enjoy a six-figure income, it’s not as easy to afford a car loan and other costs if you don’t enjoy a high income. Sadly, if you commute long distances and rely on your vehicle, you can’t justify a cheap and old car as you can end up on the side of the road with a breakdown.

Health

In the long run, if you live a stressful life, you will suffer a host of health problems. Right off the bat, a person who experiences severe and prolonged bouts of stress is likely to suffer from high blood pressure and potential heart issues. For this reason, if you want to take a new job in a far off place, you need to consider your commute. Now, some don’t mind hopping in their car, turning on the music and getting on the road. On the other hand, plenty of people will cringe at the thought of getting in a car and driving for more than 15 minutes.

A commute can be the death of you if you don’t prepare or plan. Don’t think you can handle a long commute and end up stuck in a tough situation.